Top Kalonzo party officials face arrest over perjury
By Oliver Musembi, June 22, 2023Five top Wiper Democratic Party officials including Secretary General Shakila Abdalla and Chairman Chirau Ali Mwakwere face arrest in a perjury case after losing a court battle to block police from interrogating them.
The High Court has allowed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to proceed with investigations after Justice John Chigiti ruled that stopping police from investigating crimes would usher in anarchy.
In his ruling, Justice Chigiti maintained that the application was misconceived and the applicant Ms Abdalla had failed to prove to the court that she is entitled to the leave as sought.
“After failing to secure leave to file a judicial review application, this court is of the view that it will serve no useful purpose to grant the applicant a stay order,” the Judge ruled.
The row pits the party against Mombasa businessman Abubakar Ahmed Talib who was sworn in as Wiper’s nominee to the current Parliament, despite a case seeking to reverse his nomination pending in court.
The Wiper party officials are suspected of committing perjury to justify changing party lists submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
DCI had summoned five top Wiper officials for questioning over allegations of false swearing and forgery of documents regarding the case which the party had earlier presented to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT).
Those summoned include Ms Abdalla, Mwakwere, Ms Agatha Solitei who is the chairperson of the party’s elections board, Roy Ombasa who is the party’s head of ICT and one Abdulla Gakurya.